Typewriter desk



J. VAALER.

TYPEWRITER DESK.

APPLICAHON man Aushla. ma.

1,415,909, v Patented May 16,1922.

.2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

mus VAALER, or enreeeo, ILLINOIS, assieivon To oLnMnTsEN COMPANY, or i a CHICAGO, rumors a eearonarron or ILLINOIS.

TYPEWRITER :onsir.

accolnpanying' drawings, in which I hate Beit known that I, Jr); 2 zen of the United Eltatesm residing cage, in the county of Cook in the Fltate of Illinois, have mvented a new and useful Immovement in a Typewriter Desk, of which the following" is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement: in a class of typewriter desk commonly re- [ferred to as an ojfiice desk, infwhicha plat form for supporting a typei vriting machine and means for operating; the platform are housed in the desk in such a manner that the platform can be moved from its housing into position for operating the machine and re- 1 to provide simple and lefiicient means'lor in-- stantly disconnecting the locking mechanism from the platform preparatory to lowering it. a u The above and other features of novelty, advantages and capabilities will become ap parent from the detailed description of the illustrated a device emhodyineone form oi? my invention, but the construction there shown is illustrative only and it is not to be understood as definingthe limits of the invention. a y Figure 1 is an enlarged detail perspective ,viewof a portion of a desk pedestal showing a typewriter platform in raised position embodying one form of my nvention Figure 2 aplan. view ofthe same.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the same. u

Figure 4 is a View taken approximately .on the line of Figure y a The desk is so designed andeonstructed as to completely hide the typewriter andplatform Within one of the former s not 1n use.

The carriage mechanism and raisingoperation of the platform is fully described in United States Letters Patent 1,935,664, granted AugustdB, 1912; I It will not there Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lflajy Application filed ltugust 18, 1916. Serial No. 115,724.

fore be necessary to give a detailed description here.

To prevent the platform 10, having the customary side rails 10', from being acciddentally moved outwardly and lowered, and

to absolutely secure the same against vibration, I provide a pair ot' latches ll which are pivotally connected at one end with the desk leg orany stationary part, as for instance the lugs 12, their opposite ends being bent in the :t'orm off: a depending U 11. Attached to each side of the platform side rails '10 are brace plates 141:, which in this in stance are used to afford a pivotal connection between the platform and the bell cranks 20. The side rail 10 is cut away at l t to afford an aperture into which the dependmg U-shaped ends of the pivotally uiountedmember 11 may drop, the member 11 when 1n lowered position embracing the upper edge ot the plate 14;, as clearly seen in Figure at. The plate 1.4 has integrally formed therewith a portion 13 bent over upon the top oi. the side rail l0 and cut away to correspond to the aperture 1.4", a portion Oil the member 13 toward. the front of the desk being bent up in a hump 1.3, as clearly seen inFigures 1 and 3, so as to serve as a stop for the rear edge of the depending U shaped ends 11 of the pivoted members 11.

It is to be particularly noted that the rear edges of the depending; members 11 are sloped baclnvardly as clearly seen in F igure 3, while the forward edges of these dependingmembers are substantially vertical and also that the aperture 14 and the corresponding aperture inthe plate 13 are large enoughto afford a slight clearance around a the depending members 11;

In operation, as the platform is moved backwardly at about the time the lug 12" shown in lligureil comes into tight engagement w th the car 12, as disclosedin my prior patent, thedepending ends of the pivoted member 11 drop part way into the aperture 14L, with the beveled rear edge thereof in engagement with the rear face of the pedestals when the aperture rin theplate 13 as can be seen from Figure 1. Thepivotedi member 11 thus in effect constitutes a wedge operating between h pla 1 a t e plate 1.3, eny'vibration }means secured to the platform to co-operate with the latch for locking the platform against outwardjmovement, and means secured to the'underside of said platform and or the other of the latches 11 creep into tighter engagement by reason of the creeping downwardly of the inclined rear face of'the a tyepwriter mounted on the platform in a desk'equipped withmy invention, the platform is so-securely looked as to be practically immovable from any ordinary force applied thereto.

I In order to supplement and safeguard the action ofthe locking member 12-12 and also to permit the adequate operation of the desk even if these parts are displaced or broken, I provide the elevated portion 13 upon the. plate 13, which is equipped with a rearwardly facing shoulder which projects above the; level of the plate 13 and will on gage with the forward face of latch fork 11.

This constructionby itself locks platform 10 against rearward movement, and would do so independently of the locking members 12' 12". I a T0 release the latches I provide a release ,mechanism which can be operated from the forward end of the. platform and comprises a bell-crank shaft 15 havingarms 16 adapted to engage the lugs 17 on the latches 11, which bell-crank shaft is in turn connected by means'of forward extending links placed within slots on the inside of the platformmembers and are connected to a handle 18, whichv in turn pivotally connected to the platform 10 on the underside thereof by means of the hinges 19. The handle 18 is preferably made of wood and extends all the way across the front of the platform; it is 'thus'hght to operate, does not collect oil,

dirt and grease, as would a metal handle, and

particularly it can be instantly operated, by fgriaspingthe frontof the platform at any I point and does not have to be found or felt for. .It will thus be-seen that when the operator desires tolower the platform, that by grasping the handle 18 the platform may be i unlocked and the outward and. downward jmovement vof it permitted so as to rehouse fthefltypewriter in the pedestal base.

I-Iaving now described my invention, ,1 r I claim: i

v 1 The combination, in a desk, of a platform mounted for movement, into and withdrawalfromfthe desk body, a latch pivoted to the desk body. on the inner side thereof,

operable fr ubstantian any PQiPP a ro the front edge of the iilatforni f or releasing the latch.

2. In combination, a desk, a movable platform mounted therein for movement into and withdrawal from said desk, means for locking said platform in rearward position, and means for releasing said locking means including an operating; member hinged suh-- stantially across the front of the platform.

3. In combination, a desk. a movable plat form mounted therein, a latch pivoted to said desk on the inner side thereof, a lip on the free end of said latch, a socket in said platform in which said lip enters to lock said platform against outward movement, and means on said platform for withdrawing said lip from said socket independently of the movement of said platform.

4. In combination, a desk, a movable platform mounted therein, a latch pivoted to said desk on the inner side thereof, a lip on the free end of said latch, socket in said platform in which said lip enters to lock said platform against outward movement, said socket being of greater depth than tha to which said lip normally enters, the forward edge of said lip being); bevelled, whereby as said platform moves under vibration said lip will enter more deeply into the socket to wedge said platform tighter.

5. In combination, a desk, a movable plat-- form mounted therein adapted to be moved forwardly and rearwardly with respect thereto, automatic means for stopping said platform at the limit of its rearward motion, and automatic means cooperating therewith to continually wedge the platform tighter upon subsequently attempted vibra tion thereof.

6. In combination. a desk, a movable platform mounted therein, adapted to be moved forwardly and rearwardly with respect thereto, automatic means for stopping said platform at the limit of its rearward motion, and automatic means cooperating there- ,with to continually wedge the platform tighter upon subsequently attempted vibration thereof, in combination with means for instantly releasing said wed ing means.

'7. In a device of the class described, a desk, a movable platform mounted therein. a latch connected to said desk on the inner .side thereof and adapted to co-operate with said platform for locking it against outward movement, and means operable from the front of said platform for unlocking:

said latch, said means comprising a bell crank shaft having an arm adapted to cooperate with said latch and links connecting with said bell crank shaft and extending to the forward end of said platform, where they connect with a hinged handle for the purpose set forth.

8.. In combination, a desk, a movable platform mounted therein, means for locking Sll said platform against vibration, comprising releasable latches adapted to engage stops on the platform and designed to creep into tighter engagement therewith as the platform vibrated or shaken.

9. In combination, a desk, a movable platform mounted therein and adapted to be raised and extended, means to limit the back ward movement of the platform when it is raised, releasable means to limit the forward movement of either side of the platform, one of said means being designed to creep into tighter enga rement under vibration of the platform, W ereby the platform will be locked and bound in stable position. 10. In combination, a desk, a platform therein, latch devices pivoted on one of said members and adapted to lock the platform in position, means on the platform to control said latch devices, including a member extending substantially all the Way across the platform on the underside thereof Where it is substantially concealed from view and is immediately engageable by the operator.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a

desk, a platform movable therein, a pivoted member mounted on the desk, a pair of means for locking said platform against lateral vibration, comprising a plurality of releasable latches located, one on either side of said platform and adapted to engage corresponding stops rigidly secured to the platform and to continually creep into tighter l0 engagement with said stops as the platform is laterally vibrated.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

JENS VAALER.

Vitnesses SEBASTINE AUSTIN, A. Foo'rn. 

